Railway-station indicator



(N0 ModeL) o 2 Sheets Sheet 1. J. SOHMID.

RAILWAY STATION INDICATOR. No. 334,478. Patented Jan. 19, 1886.

WITNESSES 1.7V VE-ZV' TOR.

(No Model,) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. 'S'OHMID. RAILWAY STATION INDICATOR.

Patented Jan.Y19, 1886'.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

JOSEPH SCHMID, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

RAILWAY-STATION INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,478, dated January 19, 1886.

Application filed April 25, 1885.

70 all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SOHMID, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New Orleans, parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Station Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and correct description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification.

This invention is especially intended as a street or station indicator for railway-ears; but it may be adapted for advertising purposes, and applied to any kind of vehicles.

The invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements of parts, all of which are hereinafter fully described and specifically claimed.

On the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the indicator with the door of its casing partially open. Fig. 2 is avertical section of the casing with side elevation of indicator. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the line at w of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a detailed view, partly in section, of a shifting spur-wheel and adjacent parts. i

A is a casing, of wood or other material, extending from thefloor of the car to any desired height above same. \Vithin this casing is secured the main frame of the mechanism. This frame is composed of three parallel plates or bars, b b b, and connecting-rods c c c 0' 0.

The nam s or numbers of the streets or stations to be indicated are printed or otherwise produced in separate lines across the face of a ribbon or tape, D, the opposite ends of which are attached to flanged drums E F, fitted on shafts h t, having journal bearings in the frame-plates b b. The front edges of these plates are provided with caps j j k k, to permit of theintroduction or removal of the shafts and drums as often as necessity may require.

The aforesaid frame-plates b b are provided at or about midway between the shafts h i with projecting brackets L L, having idlers or rollers m m journaled in the upper and lower outercornersthereof. Overtheseidlersorrollers the tape is made to operate so as to bring the same in close proximity to a small glazed opening, N, made in the casing-door, through which the names on the tape are exposed to Serial No. 163,477. (No model.)

view as they are successively brought in rear thereof. The aforesaid drums and tape are operated from the axle of the car through a train of gearing, chain-wheels, and chains, as hereinafter described, the connection being made with the train of gearing through a cog wheel, U, which is adapted to have a limited sliding movement on the squared or feathered end of the drum-axle h. A spring, 10, is interposed between the cog-wheel O and the adjacent frame-plate b, for the purpose of pressing the said wheel outwardly, and thus causing its teeth to engage those of a pinion, q, forming part of the train of gearing above alluded to.

R is a push-rod, which is supported in the same axial line as that of the drum-shaft h by the frame-plate b and a bracket, b, connected therewith. This rod is sufficiently long to project through one side of the casing, and is adapted to have an endwise movement in its bearing, that its inner end, which is recessed to tit the squared or feathered end of the shaft h, may be pressed on same, and thus be made to throw the cog-wheel 0 out of gear. The inner end of this rod is provided with a collar, 1", to limit its outward movement. The spring 19, yielding to the pressure brought to bear against same, resumes its normal position and forces the cog-wheel 0 into gear again the moment pressure is removed therefrom.

The pinion q, from which motion is transmitted to the indicator through the cog-wheel O, is fitted on a shaft, q, having bearings in the frame-plates b b. This shaft is also provided with a cog-wheel, P, which is engaged by the pinion t of a shaft, t, on which is also secured a chain-wheel, T, having a chain-connection, a, with the chain-wheel S of shaft 15', the journals of which operatein the lower ends of the frame-plates b b. This shaft is provided with a second chain-wheel, S, which is connected by an endless chain, '0, with a chainwheel, IV, preferably made in two sections. as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as to be secured to the car-axle w without having to remove either of the traction-wheels thereof.

To insure proper tension to the indicatortape, as well as to cause the same to return to its original position or starting-point, the axle i of the lower drum has one of its ends provided with a pinion, a, which is engaged by the cog-wheel a of a shaft, a, likewise jour- ICO naled in the frame-plates b b, and having the inner end of a spring, B, connected therewith. The opposite end of this spring is secured to a stud, B, so that the said spring shall be gradually tightened or wound up as the car moves forward. The relative proportions of the aforesaid pinion and cog-wheel should be such as to cause the spring to be wound up very gradually, and, if desired, intermediate gear-wheels may be arranged to more effectually obtain this result. In like manner the number of wheels composing the train of gearing through which motion is transmitted to the indicator proper may be increased or diminished, as the length of the route to he traversed may render necessary. The opposite end of the drum-axle i is made square, or otherwise adapted to receive a crank, (which can be inserted through a hole made in the side of the casing for said purpose,) to permit of a proper adjustment of the indicator, should same at any time be required.

The manner in which the tape is laid off and marked is as follows: The car or vehicle provided with the apparatus is moved to the starting-point of the route, and the mechanism adjusted so that the bulk of the tape shall be around the lower drum, and the tensionspring B perfectly free or unwound. The car is then slarted, which imparts motion to the mechanism, and the tape connected therewith is then gradually drawn from the lower to the upper drum. As each street or station to be indicated is reached, that part of the tape which has attained the elevation ofthe glazed opening N is marked, and this process is continued until the end of the route has been reached,or the round trip completed. The tape is then removed, and the proper names printed or otherwise produced thereon over the aforesaid marks. When dry, the tape is replaced, and the mechanism being properly adjusted the names will appear in their proper order as the points to be indicated along the route are successively reached.

In the operation of the invention the backing of the car will not in any manner affect the working of the mechanism, as the latter will operate in either direction. Should it be desired to start the car from any point other than that first indicated on the tape, it is only necessary to throw the cog-wheel 0 out of gear by pressing inwardly the push-rod B, when the crank can be applied to the squared end of the drum-shaft 2', and the tape readily adjusted thereby.

In the application of my invention for long routes the said routes should be divided into sections, and each section should be provided with a tape properly laid off to indicate the stations along same, and these tapes should be successively substituted for the preceding one as the end of each section is reached.

Instead of printing the names of streets or stations on the tapes, the latter may be made to contain advertisements, and thus the indicator can be usedas an advertising medium instead of as a street or station indicator.

Havingdescribed my invention,whatIclaiin as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the frame-plates b b b and their connecting-rods, as described, the drum-axleh, having a squared or feathered end. and a cog-wheel adapted to fit said end and have a sliding movement thereon, of the spring B and push-rod R. for causing the aforesaid wheel to engage with or be disconnected from an operating-pinion, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the shafts h i, provided with drums and tape, as described, the shaft a, with spring B and cog-wheel a', the latter adapted to engage a pinion on the shaft 2', as set forth, with the sliding cog-wheel O and spring 1), fitted on the shaft h, the pushrod R, and the train of gearing, chains, and chain-wheels, whereby the aforesaid mechanism is connected with the axle ot'a car, and thereby operated, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH SOHMID.

XVitnesses:

A. S. BECK, PETER FINNEY. 

